It's hard to explain, it's just, hard

After finishing her work, Jiang Han changed her clothes a step early and headed out of the tavern.

Where would she be? Jiang Han instinctively looked toward the street outside the Witch House; it appeared somewhat desolate at six in the morning.

Just then, she spotted a witch who gave her a sense of intimacy standing in front of a nearby stall selling grain snacks.

Without prior agreement, she walked toward this witch. The witch turned her head, her light blue eyes fixed on her.

Jiang Han walked up to Ye Keshu, lowered her head, and felt a bit unsure of how to start the conversation.

The hat on her head was patted down.

She looked up subconsciously and saw Ye Keshu's smile.

"Let's go." Ye Keshu tucked one hand into her pocket, held the snacks she had bought in the other, and walked ahead with quick strides. A moment later, she turned back and smiled at Jiang Han again. "Let's go home."

"Mm." Jiang Han lowered her head again, taking small, slow steps behind her mother.

This kind of scene was always incredibly awkward.

Awkward to the point of being hard to accept.

"Jiang Han." Her mother called her name again, and as she looked up, she heard Ye Keshu say, "You don't have to be like this. I mean... this job is actually quite good. Ha, it's not much different from the song and dance troupe, and you don't have to train until eight in the morning to be released, nor do you have to be at the theater by six every afternoon. It's quite nice."

"Actually, the shamisen you play is quite good too," Ye Keshu said. After speaking, the lady with the beautiful light blue eyes covered her eyes and let out a helpless laugh.

She felt as if she had been hit by an Intelligence-Reducing Spell, and her tongue had been struck by six Petrification spells.

She was feeling a bit flustered.

How tragic. Right now, in my mind... other than the image of my daughter wearing a qipao, it seems impossible to fit anything else in... Freud really should have written a special psychological state for all mothers, the complex psychology one feels after seeing their daughter grow from a girl into a woman... Ye Keshu took a deep breath, then unbuttoned her collar to let the cold wind calm her burning thoughts.

Ye Keshu considered herself a witch who loved her work. Perhaps her concern for her family wasn't sufficient, but surely she shouldn't have missed so much?

Of course, the changes weren't truly "earth-shattering"; it was just that things previously ignored were gradually appearing.

For instance, her daughter's slender waist and the curve of her hips. A petite and lean frame, but only petite, not frail; her calves were long, somewhat similar to her other mother, Jiang Xuan, but her chest was different—it was like her own, yet even more youthful and beautiful.

She pulled her focus back. Ms. Ye Keshu realized once again why some people could read the word "motherhood" into the phrase "my daughter has grown up," while others could read "bestiality" into it.

It seems my arms are thicker than her calves; she's too petite... Hiss, Ms. Ye, you cannot keep thinking about this... She has grown up; she is no longer that little girl who needed help taking a bath. Uh, taking a bath?... Ye Keshu's face stiffened. She covered her face with both hands, let out a sigh through gritted teeth, and cursed her own loose tongue internally.

...It seems Mom didn't pursue the matter of me working at the tavern... Jiang Han felt a sense of relief, but feeling somewhat puzzled by her mother's slightly "scorching" gaze, she quickly became vigilant again:

...It seems the matter of the part-time job isn't over yet!

...Maybe Mom will turn into a hairdryer once we get home.

...Perhaps I'll even implicate my sister and get her scolded too, since in Mom's eyes, my sister is the one who is supposed to be taking care of me.

If it comes up later why I was working at the Witch House, I'd better answer that I "wanted to buy magic items." Those magic goods come in all prices, making them the perfect excuse... Jiang Han made up her mind.

"I have been learning recently. The shopkeeper is very nice and often lets me sit at the bar to read," Jiang Han said, keeping some details to herself about her days working at the Witch House. She didn't mention the name of the shop, nor did she mention going to the second floor to accompany customers for drinks.

Although the Witch House was a legitimate establishment.

And these actions, from a moral, ethical, and behavioral standpoint, were all very proper and devoid of any illicit implications.

But explaining it was still troublesome, or rather, very difficult to explain:

"I accompanied customers to drink and sing, and ended up getting drunk."

Tsk, it feels like even if I didn't do anything bad, saying that out loud makes me sound like a villain.

"Is that so? Are you going to work tomorrow as well?" Ye Keshu asked, looking straight ahead.

"I'm off tomorrow. Actually, I've made plans to go out with a friend after my lessons," Jiang Han said, withholding part of the truth again.

Because it was still very difficult to explain.

Whether it was "the teacher is taking me out to play" or "I'm going out with the teacher after class," both sounded like they were full of misleading implications.

"Where are you going with your friend? Do you want me to drop you off?" It was hard to explain why Ms. Ye Keshu was suddenly so concerned about her daughter, but regardless, Jiang Han refused.

As for the reason for the refusal, that was also hard to explain.

"After school, my friend and I are going to see a puppet show. We'll probably be home quite early," Jiang Han continued to withhold information, because it was truly hard to explain.

Look:

Saying something like "my friend is picking me up by car" in this situation—especially right after I'd been selling drinks in a somewhat transparent qipao—would be very hard to explain.

Ye Keshu turned her head, seemingly gathering the courage to look at Jiang Han's outfit.

"Hm?" Jiang Han let out a single syllable, then turned her head away unnaturally, only watching from the corner of her eye.

"Do you want to buy a new set of casual clothes?" Ye Keshu withdrew her gaze and walked to the administration office to retrieve their brooms.

New clothes? There's no need for that... Jiang Han didn't want to buy women's clothing—although she had accepted the premise that she was a witch, buying clothes always felt a bit too superfluous, didn't it?

Look:

With the money for a pretty new outfit, you could trade for a bunch of materials.

You could even buy a magic item with some minor utility; that would be more useful than a pretty dress.

Besides, she was either working or in class all day; who was she supposed to show off pretty clothes to?

And finally! Even if I dress up nicely and others see me, there's no benefit to me at all.

Based on various selfish considerations, Jiang Han gave a sincere answer:

"No need, I think this robe is just fine."

She shook her robe in front of her mother, lifting the right side to show off the standard white shirt and plaid skirt underneath, "It fits perfectly."

Ye Keshu covered her face and sighed, "...This is your middle school uniform from ninth grade, you just altered the bust."

"But it's still comfortable, it's loose, and I can hang two small material pouches inside the lining of the skirt." Jiang Han straightened her back and spread her arms, showing her mother the small white bags she had sewn onto the sides of her shirt using magic.

She had gotten the inspiration for this from the television.

It seemed that many Witch combat outfits consisted of a bodysuit underneath and a Witch robe on top, and they usually sewed small pockets onto the sides of their bodysuits or the inside of their robes themselves.

Jiang Han had followed suit and made two small pockets, filling them with Northern Gold Chili Powder and Numbing Hot Pepper Powder that increased the power of her Fireball Spell. In a pinch, she could not only cast high-powered Fireball Spells to protect herself, but if she encountered a Witch who closed the distance, she could even throw the 'powder'. If that chili powder hit, it would definitely make an unprepared Witch lose her combat effectiveness!

Ms. Ye Keshu nodded. She flipped through her purse to take out her wallet, saying at the same time:

"That makes some sense, but you still need to buy a new casual dress, a pretty wide-brimmed hat, and finally some sandals and socks. Summer is coming."

...Sometimes parents are just so unreasonable... Jiang Han took the funds her mother gave her and obediently tucked them into her pocket.

"I am an adult," Jiang Han said, uttering the words every child eventually says.

"Alright, Miss Adult, now let's go home. I'll make you a bowl of rice noodles with pickled mustard greens and thin slices of meat, and I'll add some wontons for you, how does that sound?" Ye Keshu laughed.

The Witch tossed her broom outward, then leaped into the air, caught the broom in mid-flight, dove deep, and pulled up, flying through the air in a thrilling yet elegant glide.

Jiang Han watched, took a quiet look at the distance between the edge of the Sky Island and the ground, and shivered. She sat sideways on her broom like a proper lady, using the standard takeoff posture for a minor to slowly lift off the ground, slowly accelerate, and slowly follow behind.